The Syracuse International Film and Video Festival will feature many notable Syracuse University alumni as jurors and guest speakers, including screenwriters, directors, animators and executives. The festival opens April 29 and runs through May 2. Other highlights will include an international high tea and a photo exhibition at the Light Work gallery.

“I’m really excited to have these alumni come back to Syracuse and renew their association with the University through cinema,” says Owen Shapiro, SU professor of film and the festival’s director.

“I’m honored to be a part of the first Syracuse International Film and Video Festival,” says Rob Edwards ’85, an alumnus of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “When I was a student at SU, I looked forward to the discussions in my film classes. This festival gives filmmakers from all over the world a chance to share their common language and learn from each other. I look forward to watching this festival grow through the years.”

The alumni who are participating as jurors and panelists include:

Edwards: The screenwriter of Disney’s Academy Award-nominated “Treasure Planet.” His writing career began in television with such shows as “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” “In Living Color,” “Full House” and “A Different World,” as well as “Out All Night with Patti Labelle,” which he also created.

Sang-In Lee ’96: One of Korea’s most noted young filmmakers, he is currently a professor at Yong University and director of the Association of Korean Independent Film and Video. His most recent feature film, “Rush,” has been in numerous international film festivals.

Jim Morris ’77, G’78: President of Lucas Digital, the premier digital effects studio originally created to produce “Star Wars.” Lucas Digital includes Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound. Its other films include “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Terminator 2,” “Jurassic Park,” “ET: The Extra Terrestrial,” “Men In Black” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

Henry Selick ’74: A Disney-trained animator, he worked on “Pete’s Dragon” and “The Fox and the Hound.” He won a Clio award for the spot “Haircut M” before becoming an independent animator. He directed the highly acclaimed “Nightmare Before Christmas” as well as “James the Giant Peach” and “Monkeybone.”

Lee, Morris and Selick will also give seminars during the film festival. Lee will speak on Korean cinema, April 28 from 1-3 p.m. in Room 121 of Shaffer Hall; Morris will speak on new technologies, May 1 from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Menschel Media Center’s Watson Theater, 316 Waverly Ave.; and Selick will introduce a free animation program, May 1 from 8:30-11 pm in the Key Bank parking lot on the corner of Montgomery and Washington Streets.

“We are especially proud to bring together these alumni under the banner of the Syracuse International Film and Video Festival,” says Christine Fawcett, the festival’s production executive. “It really underscores the collaborative currents that run throughout the entire festival.”

As a kickoff activity, the Light Work Gallery will open an exhibition in conjunction with the festival today, April 26, to remain open through June 30 at 316 Waverly Ave. The exhibition features a sampling of 50 images created over the years for Point of Contact, an SU-supported non-profit organization dedicated to the exploration and change of ideas in the verbal and visual arts.

On April 27, Syracuse University’s Division of International Programs Abroad (DIPA) will host a formal high tea and discussion on British documentary filmmaker Carol Morley, her work and contemporary filmmaking. The discussion will be followed by a screening and discussion in the Sapphire Room in the E.S. Bird Library at 3:30 p.m.

Morley is one of the festival judges; she was recently nominated for the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for Best New Director for her documentary, “Alcohol Years,” which was produced by Channel 4 in England. Her other films include: “Everyday Something: True Stories From the 21st Century” and “Return Trip.” Morley is also a professor in SU’s DIPA program in London.

For more information on Morley’s lecture call 443-1925.

Tickets for the Syracuse International Film and Video Festival can be reserved on the festival’s Website, http://www.syrfilmfest.com, or by calling 443-2247. They can also be purchased at the Bristol IMAX OmniTheater, Emerald City Video on Bridge Street, the Landmark Theater Box Office, the Marx Hotel and SU’s Schine Box Office.

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